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JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XL, NO. 1 July 2005
language into English. But, however, some useful glimpses could be obtained
Jain folksongs
Jains in Karnataka have compared folksongs of all varieties i.e.,houschold work songs, craddle songs, worship songs, long narrative songs, etc.
Some examples of each type could now be given in detail. 1. Craddle songs.
While swinging the child in craddle to make him sleep, songs are sung by the mother. A Jaina shrāvakī then sings like this
"Swing, Swing, Swing me mummy there where the Adijina is there" Toogu Toogammayyā Toogammā. (Ādijinariddalligé.)
In these lines mother wants her child to be swung to that point where the first Thīrthankara lives. Obviously, it is ‘Siddhashilā”- the apex of the universe, where the souls stay after getting ‘mukti' or salvation. Thus, the craving for salvation is induced in the very infant stage itself.
In another craddle song, the birth of Neminātha, 22nd Tirthankara is described. There it is said
'Say jojo to Jinarāja Say jo jo to the Lord of All worlds, Say jo jo to master in salvation, jó jó' (jó jó énnerī jo Jinarāya jó jó ennerī Tribhuvannaswāmi, jó jó ennerī mukti ulló deya - jó jó)
Thus starting, the song proceeds explaining that the Jina came to this earth assertaining the moment of lack of poverty, making all musical instruments and weapons sound automatically, etc. All these descriptions corroborrate with the mythological narrations. They indicate how powerful the Jina is.
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